The Perfect Christmas Picture

I know it is not big, but this is the perfect Christmas picture. It should have been on a card! Don't you wish your grandbabies were this beautiful?

Gratefulness

So this year was start of the rest of my life. I put into action some things that I know but have not really had the ability to practice. Why can't I practice it you say? Well because so many times in my life I know something analytically... meaning I know it in my head, I know it is true and right, but I don't know it emotionally, meaning when push comes to shove I operate emotionally, not analytically. But anyway back to my learning.

I learned to be grateful.

This is a really hard thing to do. Being grateful is the key to a good attitude. Whenever I am feeling mean or spiteful or even downright disgusted I turn to gratefulness. In the past I would just be mean or spiteful or downright disgusted and it would be a downward spiral into being pissy or mad or ornery or just admit it, bitchiness. It could last for hours or sometimes the whole day. At this point in my life I always reset when I go to sleep, just like a computer. But being grateful is a whole new strategy. I started by just looking around me and finding those things in my immediate area that I am grateful for. For example, right now I am in my computer room. I am so grateful that I have a computer room, and a computer, and such an awesome computer. I am grateful for all my favorite music that I have playing right now on my computer. I love the skylight that I put in the computer room, oh and I am so grateful for the big printer machine we bought a few years ago, it will be our livelihood when we retire, I see the telescope I bought for Extremo this Christmas and am grateful for the wonderful year of work he had... you see how it works? It just snowballs and all of a sudden I am in a wonderful place full of wonderful things and wonderful people (if they were awake.)

I spend my drive to work every morning being grateful. By the time I get to work I am in a great mood. This gratefulness has had another unexpected result. I find myself appreciating all the things that I have never before noticed in my life, the little things that make a world: the trees, the streets, the lights, the trains, the hills, the clouds, the rain. I live in a wonderful world, with wonderful people and have a wonderful life.

I hope you all do, as well.

Christmas 2009

Christmas Morning 2009. What a nice, quiet, fun morning. Before Offspring #1 and the Night Beast arrived we talked with Offspring #2 and family. Grandson #1 loved his 2.5 ft rendition of the Millenium Falcon. Of course, his parents think I'm crazy but it is a Grandma's perogative.

Night Beast was not very interested in presents. He played with wrapping a little but mostly ignored everything... until... until.. until... the whiteboard! Don't ask me why but he was completely enamored of the white board, he licked it, loved it and humped it, over and over again. We laughed so hard we could barely catch the action in action!

Offspring #1 has been wanted a salad spinner for about a year but only ever talks about getting one. So her brother got her one for Christmas!

Extremo wrapped the present for Offspring #3, so he didn't know what he got! It had a phone taped to the box to throw him off the scent.

LC waited patiently for his presents. I made him wait till last before I gave him the biggie! An espresso maker!

Sis-in-law also waited quietly as she opened a present and then stealthily pirated it away in her room. She would come back and sit waiting for the next present!

Like I said, a nice quiet Christmas. Hope you and you family had the exact happy non-denominational holiday you wanted!

Christmas Eve 2009

We spent Christmas Evening at Offspring #1's house. It was a lovely dinner of Pork Roast, Green Beans, Steamed Rice and Cheesecake.

Of course, no evening is complete without the Night Beast, as he is affectionalely called, in attendance.

Also in attendance was Night Beast's older sister. We don't get to see her often so it was lovely indeed to spend Christmas Eve with her.

Night Beast did his usual theatrics on the slide: up, down, backward, forward, head first, butt first, anything first.

Offspring #3 with his Daddy, Extremo.

Big Bry and his Offspring #1 in her Christmas finery.

Yes, Night Beast knows how to work the Grandma. One love hug can last a lifetime.

Hope you all have a wonderful and happy non-denominational holiday!

The Cutest Baby in the Whole World!

The end of November brought a really pleasant surprise. Offspring #2 and his family came to visit his Grandma, my Mom. It was more than half-way to me so Extremo and I went to Nevada to see his little family.

Grandson #3 is just the cutest baby in the whole world. He smiles at the drop of a hat. He laughs and giggles and coos. He is also surprised easily!

Surprise!

Oh my gosh... What was that???

Oh... you surprised me!

"All they do is take pictures, they don't even put down the phone!"

He is the sweetest baby, gentle and happy.

His great grandma gets snuggle time.

All this cuteness is sure tiring.